From the Supreme Court Chief Justice William Renquist to Tipper Gore (wife of presidential candidate Al Gore and a rumored candidate for Senate) to Swedish-speaking Representative John Larson (D-MA) the Swedish influence has been evident on both the national and state political scenes over the years. The heavily Swedish-American state of Minnesota has seen fit to elect a Swedish-American governor at least once per decade. Should Attorney General Granholm be elected governor this fall in Michigan, however, she will be that state’s first.

Johan Printz was governor of the New Sweden colony between 1643-1653. He was neither elected to the position nor well liked by New Sweden’s settlers. An autocratic ruler, Printz was forced to return to Sweden as a result of popular dissent. His successor, Johan Rising, surrendered the colony to the Dutch under Peter Stuyvesant in 1654.

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It may not tell the whole story if we limit our observations regarding politicians from the Nordic region to Swedes. We mustn't forget that many a Scandinavian American has contributed to this great country. In Nordic Reach we recently covered Walter Mondale, Vice President of the U.S. between 1977-1981, serving under President Jimmy Carter.
Later, he was also the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. If you are curious the story and one-on-one interview is online, at http://www.nordicreach.com/its_about/people/170/ and includes some excellent photography by Swedish New York based photographer Henrik Olund.

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